Preparations containing clomethiazole, particularly in the form of its acid addition salts, especially the acid addition salt with 1,2-ethanedisulfonic acid are known to possess valuable therapeutic properties. The general pharmacology and therapeutic applications of clomethiazole have been extensively reviewed in recent publications (see Acta Psychiatr Scand 73 (suppl 329), 1986; Progr. Neurobiol. 44, 463-484 (1994).Thus, for example, clomethiazole possesses sedative and hypnotic properties and is used clinically as a hypnotic in the elderly, particularly in the management of psychogeriatric patients. Clomethiazole also possesses anticonvulsant properties and is used clinically for the treatment of different types of convulsive states, such as, for example, status epilepticus and pre-eclampsias. Clomethiazole is also used clinically for the treatment of ethanol (alcohol) withdrawal states including delirium tremens. U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,572 discloses the use of clomethiazole in the prevention and/or treatment of neurodegeneration in pathological conditions such as stroke, cerebral ischaemia, hypoxia, epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, multi-infarct dementia and Huntingdon's disease.